The Telangana High Court has questioned the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) over its alleged failure to act on complaints against affiliated schools. The complaints say some schools force parents to buy school-prescribed textbooks instead of following the NCERT syllabus. The development was reported from Hyderabad on November 6, 2026.
The court made its observations while hearing a writ petition filed by Bolleddu Joshua, a government employee and parent. The petition challenges practices at Don Bosco School in Motinagar and other CBSE-affiliated schools in the state. It alleges that these schools impose unauthorized curricula and non-NCERT textbooks and charge high amounts for study material. The petitioner says this violates CBSE bye-laws and the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009.
Justice N.V. Shravan Kumar directed the CBSE and the Telangana School Education Department to file responses detailing the action taken against such schools. The court also sought details on whether private schools comply with the rules on forming School Management Committees (SMCs), school governing bodies and Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) under state and CBSE norms.
The petitioner has asked the court to direct the CBSE to ensure its affiliated schools strictly follow NCERT textbooks. He also wants the board to examine his complaints and act against violating institutions. He has sought exemplary costs of ₹5 lakh against the school and ₹10 lakh against the CBSE for alleged inaction. His other requests include fee transparency, digital payments and public disclosure of accounts. The plea also challenges the constitutional validity of certain “user charges” provisions under a 2009 government order.
The grievance is a long-standing one among parents in Hyderabad and across Telangana. Many CBSE and private schools have been accused of directing parents to buy full book sets only from school-specified vendors or on-campus counters at full MRP, even when cheaper NCERT books are available. Schools have earlier defended on-campus sales as “no-profit, no-loss”, citing previous High Court observations. Parents and associations have complained of significant mark-ups and lack of choice.
The CBSE has issued several circulars advising schools not to coerce parents into buying additional or non-NCERT books, noting that board exams are based on the prescribed NCERT syllabus. The National Human Rights Commission has also taken cognizance of similar complaints about expensive private textbooks in CBSE schools. The matter has been listed for further hearing after the authorities submit their responses.
